India is a partner with whom the Netherlands wants to have long-term relationship and can add value to its own assets and both countries can work together in many areas including agriculture and food security, water management and climate change, said King of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander on Tuesday.
“One of India’s most striking features is its amazing energy. You can almost feel it. It’s incredible how quickly this country has developed into a global player that is leading the way in information technology and research,” he said while inaugurating the DST-CII Technology Summit in New Delhi. The Netherlands is the partner country for the 25th edition of the summit organised jointly by the Department of Science and Technology and the Confederation of Indian Industry.
The Dutch King, who along with Queen Maxima, is on a State Visit to India said the technology summit is quest for successful innovation, which is actually much more than introducing cutting edge technology. It is a product of human effort, but not a zero-sum game in which the winner is on one side and the loser on the other.
Minister of Science and Technology Harsh Vardhan said both the countries which have been working together for long have the scope for deepening the engagement. Already over 100 Dutch companies are working in India, he said inviting many more to join them. He said as many as 200 Dutch companies have representation in this technology summit.
Traditional items of trade between the two countries had given way to more high technology ones, Vardhan said adding that India and the Netherlands were celebrating 10 years of cooperation in science, technology and innovation space, especially in areas such as urban water management, smart energy grids, and anti-microbial resistance, among others. The Minister also said that the European country, which is known for its efficient water management practices, can help India achieve the ambitious goal of doubling farmers income by 2022.